E9 with S38 on BAT

"rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S" (rb1971)
12/05/2013 at 12:12 • Filed to: None

Obviously I am a fan of this build. I can't believe this one is right across the bridge and I've never seen it.

http://bringatrailer.com/2013/12/04/m5-…

DISCUSSION (11)

phenotyp > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/05/2013 at 12:13

I saw that this morning, too. Absolute dream car, right there. The only thing wrong with it is that it isn't mine.

505Turbeaux > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/05/2013 at 12:15

that is a whole lot of coin for what it is

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > 505Turbeaux
12/05/2013 at 12:18

It is? I haven't tried to sell my S38 E9 (nor will I ever), but my understanding is that an E9 with this swap fully sorted can get close to $100k - as in, I know of one that sold in a private sale for $90k last year. It was probably just a notch less nice than this one.

Sure, the market for this is small, but I don't think you have a great view of prices. Happy to be proved wrong.

505Turbeaux > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/05/2013 at 12:25

because I can buy a gorgeous E9 for 30K tops, and an S38 for 5K along with the tranny and diff (I did for my E3). Hell I can buy an entire M6 for 7 grand. Reserve hasnt been met at 45K? Sorry, if I want an E9 I will get a 3.0csi, for 30K. If I want an S38, I will buy a nice M5/6 for 20K. I can have both for the same money.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > 505Turbeaux
12/05/2013 at 12:37

If you can buy a rust-free E9 for $30k that is fully sorted you definitely should. I think that price is a few years out of date. Similarly, an S38 that is perfect is more like $7k. (That $7k M6 will be on its last legs.) I think you are somewhat optimistic on these prices - so your parts total would be closer to $55k.

So then you say, ok, so why would I pay more? Well, to do this swap correctly you have to tear the car down to bare metal and fully reinforce it to take the additional power (remembering that this is a B-pillarless 70s coupe that was sort of flexy when it came from the factory).

Then there are all sorts of other bits and bobs you need to change to make the car really nice - that's about $10k at least in parts, plus another $5k in labor if you don't do it yourself. Add awesome paint ($10k) and a new interior ($5k) and all of a sudden it's kind of expensive. Heck, a rebuilt and reinforced side loader diff will run you $1500 by itself, and most diff places don't want to mess with those old guys.

I do agree that a nice M5/M6 is a much cheaper option for the S38. Almost went that way myself, love those cars. But don't kid yourself that putting an S38 in an E9 the right way is just as simple as swapping the motors.

505Turbeaux > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/05/2013 at 12:48

I actually really like the idea of this car existing, and I am not trying to get into a flame war over it, but it just doesnt hold water. If this 3.0Csi goes for over $35k I will be surprised.

And as far as this one is concerned...

Kinja'd!!!

awesome paint?

and

Kinja'd!!!

structural reinforcements to hold the power?

Nice car, nice Nakamichi stereo and a trick GPS, but for that money I would be going to something else.

On another note I still envy you for having an Inka E9 though, with an S38! My favorite color!

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > 505Turbeaux
12/05/2013 at 12:57

Assuming that garnet car is rust free (I saw no shock tower pics in the ebay ad), I'd be very surprised if it went for under $40k. Check it out - we can both be surprised when it goes for $37.5k!

I don't agree that the paint is necessarily bad on the Sausalito coupe based on the pics (but I don't know that car). I do agree the exhaust choice is extremely strange, the GPS and clock swap out are not to my taste (but reversible fairly easily), and the chassis reinforcement is an open question.

I'm not a flame war kind of guy, but I think you have made the mistake in your pricing of assuming that the average prices (from a couple of years ago) for these cars are indicative of prices on some of the better ones, but my view and experience as someone who owns one and follows the market for them is that there is a fairly disjunctive bimodal distribution for great ones (lost of $$) and crap ones (small $$), with the average prices reserved for fairly average cars (minimal rust, fairly original, maybe small reversible mods). If this car is average, it will go for the price of an average one plus some of the cost of the motor swap.

505Turbeaux > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/05/2013 at 13:04

yeah I have been in and out of the market on them for 10 years. I couldnt actually believe when a sorted example passed the 20K mark. I bought a 2800CS (auto), sans rust, in 2002 in that same garnet for 3 grand with a new interior and working a/c. Did some work, sold for 5. the sorted 3.0CSi's were going for 10-15K at that point, but the market has exploded for them. At this point I dont know if I will ever own one, but they sure are a thing of beauty and have gotten their due. I follow E3's much more closely, because I am some sort of weirdo or something :)

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > 505Turbeaux
12/05/2013 at 13:08

I would love to have an E3 as well. I've heard that in stock form they handle better than the E9s, and although I don't have any experience with them I can believe it based on the later M5/M6 cars (where I think the sedan was actually the better handling if not better looking car).

But given I have to pay for each garage spot in SF if I buy another car now my wife would probably cut me. Which would be good news for anyone that wanted to buy my inks car I suppose.

505Turbeaux > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/05/2013 at 13:14

yeah I had a 3.0s. Stock, then after overheat I went to 535i head and triple webers, then to S38, then I wrecked it one snowy night up the street from my house, then caught fire in the engine bay on the way home. I drove it across the country 2 times, handled fabulously the whole time (better than the 2800cs). Even a sorted rust free e3 these days is a unicorn.

Kinja'd!!!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
12/05/2013 at 13:37

I think there is a grand total of 2 BMWs I would go out to buy (as opposed to taking an opportunity like my E36), and those are an E9 and an E3.

Ideally I'd have a 3.0 Bavaria.

All alphanumeric cars of note should have names as well. 458 Italia, 33 Stradale, 1600 Duetto, DBS V8 Oscar India. All just sound cooler.